The 42nd Air Base Wing's fire department is now one of only 13 bases U.S. Air Force-wide with an accreditation through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

The Maxwell Air Force Base Fire Department received a recommendation for accreditation following a four-day inspection in January by CFAI. The fire department received word March 18 that it received the accreditation, the first base in Air Education and Training Command to earn the honor.

"The fire department should take great pride in what they've accomplished," said Col. Andrea Tullos, 42nd ABW commander. "This represents years of hard work, self-scrutiny and a desire to attain the highest standards the industry has to offer.

"This type of accomplishment doesn't just happen overnight, and one person can't carry this kind of load. It takes effective teamwork — the same exceptional teamwork which keeps our airmen and their families safe in their homes, in our workplaces and in the surrounding community we support."

The accreditation process allowed the fire department to compare its performance to industry best practices. The CFAI provides a well-defined, internationally recognized benchmark system to measure the quality of fire and emergency services.

"Now that we are accredited, we do an annual follow up with a five-year renewal process," said Tech. Sgt. Mitchell Robinson, 42nd Air Base Wing firefighter and accreditation manager. "We worked hard to get to this point, and it feels good being the first base in AETC to complete the process."

Robinson spearheaded the efforts toward attaining the certification over the last 18 months, but knows this isn't the time to relax.

"The accreditation made us work harder at what we do and how we do it," said the Orlando, Fla., native. "The team gave us a few recommendations that we were able to put in place. Even with the plaque on the wall, there is always the next thing in line to do. We don't want to become too relaxed."

Seven Air Force bases were accredited on this round of accreditation reviews.

"There were six, and now there are 13 accredited offices," Robinson said. "So, we doubled the number of bases that are fully accredited, and that is a big deal for the Air Force."